The concept of left is a relative concept. Left can be defined based on the position of something else, in this case, the car next to you.
If a car is moving to the left with constant velocity, one can conclude that the car is not changing its speed or direction. The car is going straight and another car is passing it on the right.
However, this fact can be disconfirmed very easily. If you are following a car that is going straight and then suddenly changes direction to the left, then you know that it was not actually going straight.
The question then becomes: how can you tell if a car is moving to the left? This question has many answers, some of which are wrong. This article will discuss some ways to tell if a car is moving to the left and whether or them are accurate.
The driver is turning left
This is a very common mistake many people make. If you see a car moving to the left, it does not mean that the driver is going left. It only means that the car is moving to the left.
The direction of movement alone does not tell you if the driver is going straight, making a right turn, or making a left turn. You need more information than that.
For example, imagine you see a car moving to the left and you assume that it means the driver is going left. Then, when it makes a right turn, you think that the driver made a mistake and was going straight but ended up turning left.
However, it could very well be the case that the driver was actually turning right and was consistently doing so, but you assumed that it was going straight when in fact it was turning right.
If you observe a vehicle moving to the left and assuming that it is turning left when in fact it is going straight may result in an accident.
The car in front of you is moving to the left with constant velocity
One of the greatest lies told in our society is that if a car is moving to the left with constant velocity, one can conclude that the car in front of you is moving to the left with constant velocity.
This falsehood was created by those who want you to believe that cars in front of you are not actually moving at all. They claim that cars in front of you are actually stopped, and it is simply an illusion caused by the car you’re in that makes it look like it’s moving backward.
The truth is, there is no such thing as “if a car is moving to the left with constant velocity.” There is only “if a car is moving to the left and forwards with constant velocity,” which is what one can conclude.
If we are going to be honest about this whole thing, then we have to admit that if a car is moving backwards with constant velocity, one can conclude that the car in front of you is also moving backwards with constant velocity.
The car behind you is moving to the left with constant velocity
Let’s start with the simplest scenario: When someone is following you in a car, and you assume they are moving to the left because they are following you.
How can you be so sure? Because if they were not moving to the left, then they would not be behind you!
Imagine if, instead, they were moving to the right. In that case, they would not be behind you—they would be in front of you. You would both be moving to the left, but one of you would be going left while the other was going right.
So if someone is following you in a car and it seems like they are moving to the left with constant velocity, then it must mean that the car behind them is also moving to the left with constant velocity! 💕
(Obviously we hope that no one ever experiences this kind of situation, but it’s good to know in case it happens.
Your car is going down a hill where the road curves to the left
If you are driving down a hill and the road curves to the left, then your car is moving to the left with constant velocity. This is because you are going down a hill, so your car is moving slower than the earth’s surface.
When looking at how to determine this, remember to check if your car is going down a hill and if the road curves to the left. If it does, then you have determined that someone is going down a hill and their car is moving to the left with constant velocity.
Remember, you can only determine this if you are looking at the road in front of you. If you are looking in the rear-view mirror, then you will not be able to see this fact.
There is a strong wind from the left
Wind deflects the motion of a car. If a car is moving to the left with constant velocity, one can conclude that there is a strong wind from the left that is deflecting the car to the left.
This happens because of what is known as relative wind. Relative wind is the speed at which the car moves compared to the air around it.
If the air around it is moving, then this means that the car will feel a force pushing it in another direction. In this case, it would be a wind from the left pushing it to the right.
This happens because of convection currents- winds that move patterns of air around. When these patterns change, they can push against objects, like cars. Convection currents can be due to temperature changes.
You are going too slow and not tracking correctly
The first reason you might think a car moving to the left with constant velocity is because you are going too slow and not tracking correctly.
If you are moving at the same speed as someone else, then you will think they are moving left, but they are actually standing still. You are the one moving left.
If you are trying to track a car that is very slow, then you might think it is moving left when it is actually standing still. You are the one moving left!
This might sound silly, but keep in mind that many accidents occur due to people misjudging speed and velocity. People often underestimate the speed of cars on the road, which can cause problems.
Keep in mind that if you are driving at the same speed as someone else, then you both are stationary relative to each other.
You are going too fast and not tracking correctly
Tracking is how you follow the path of a car. If you are following the wrong car, you will think a car is moving to the left when it is actually going straight or right.
If you are tracking correctly, you will know if your target car is going too fast or too slow compared to your own speed. You will also be able to tell if the target car is going left, right, or straight.
How can this be? Well, if you are following a target car that’s moving at constant speed and then all of a sudden it changes direction, then you know that it was actually going in another direction than what you thought.
Conversely, if the target car is moving at constant speed and then all of a sudden it changes speed, then you know that it was actually going faster or slower than what you thought.
